Mykala Voita
Mykala Voita | |
|---|---|
 Voita at the 2024 Hazlitt Summit hosted by Young Americans for Liberty Foundation | |
| Member of the South Dakota Senate from the 21st district | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Erin Tobin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 22, 1998 |
| Party | Republican[1] |
Mykala Voita (born March 22, 1998)[2] is an American politician. She serves as a Republican member for the 21st district of the South Dakota Senate.[3] She was first elected in 2024, defeating incumbent Erin Tobin in the Republican primary. Voita is a member of the State's Senate Appropriations Committee and the Joint Committee on Appropriations.[4]
Career
Voita was first elected to the Senate in 2024, defeating incumbent Senator Erin Tobin by 48 votes in the Republican primary. The race was defined by Tobin's support for a bill that would allow the construction of a new pipeline, with Voita basing much of her primary campaign on the rights of landowners.[5] She then easily defeated Democrat Dan Andersson in the general election. Voita, Tobin, and Andersson are all running again in the 2026 election.[6]
On February 18, 2025, Voita spoke in opposition to a bill that would have raised the age to marry in South Dakota to 18-years-old. She said the issue was personal to her as she was once "two months away from being in an underage marriage," but ultimately they decided to wait. She voted no to passing the bill.[7] Voita also supports passing legislation to require transgender people to use the bathrooms and other gendered public facilities corresponding to their assigned gender at birth.[8]
In March 2025, three pro-gun bills she sponsored were signed by Governor Larry Rhoden, including a bill that repealed no-gun zones at locations that served alcohol, and a bill that allows concealed carry permit holders to carry their guns on college campuses, the latter of which Voita claimed was to allow students to defend themselves.[9][10]
References
- ↑ "Mykala Voita". Freedom Voter Guide. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ↑ "Mykala Voita". Sdlegislature.gov. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
- ↑ "MyKala Voita". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ↑ "Session Committees".
- ↑ Hult, John; Haiar, Joshua; Tupper, Seth (June 5, 2024). "Incumbent SD Republican lawmakers suffer losses over pipeline and property rights issues". Nebraska Examiner. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ Mercer, Bob (April 21, 2026). "It's Voita vs. Tobin in GOP rematch for Senate 21". Keloland. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ Newton, Jacob (February 18, 2025). "SD Senate votes to maintain child marriage". KELO-TV.
- ↑ Haiar, Joshua (March 10, 2025). "Bill policing transgender people's bathroom choice passes SD Senate". South Dakota Searchlight. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
- ↑ "South Dakota: Governor Rhoden Signs Pro-Gun Bills Into Law". NRA-ILA. March 24, 2025.
- ↑ Haiar, Joshua (February 10, 2025). "Proposal to allow concealed pistols on college campuses advances in SD Legislature". South Dakota Searchlight. Retrieved May 7, 2026.